The 90-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who has lived in exile in India for decades, was announced as the winner at the Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles for his book Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
“I receive this recognition with gratitude and humility,” Dalai Lama said in a post on social media. “I don’t see it as something personal, but as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility.”
Widely admired around the world for his long-running campaign for greater autonomy for Tibet, the Dalai Lama fled the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959 at the age of 23 after Chinese troops crushed an uprising. He has never returned. Beijing considers Tibet an integral part of China and has long condemned the Dalai Lama as a separatist.
Dressed in his traditional maroon robes, simple sandals and wide-rimmed spectacles, the Dalai Lama is an unlikely global celebrity. In his remarks, he stressed the importance of shared human values.
“I truly believe that peace, compassion, care for our environment, and an understanding of the oneness of humanity are essential for the collective well-being of all eight billion human beings,” he said.
The Grammy-winning audiobook features contributions from artists including Rufus Wainwright, who accepted the award on the Dalai Lama’s behalf, and Maggie Rogers.
Tibetan Buddhists believe the Dalai Lama is the 14th reincarnation of a spiritual lineage dating back to 1391. While he has said he expects to live for many more years, Tibetans are preparing for a future without him.
China, a self-declared atheist and Communist state, said last year that it must approve the Dalai Lama’s eventual successor. The Dalai Lama has repeatedly said that only his India-based office has the authority to determine his reincarnation.
